The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-03
FULL REPORT OF THE DRY
/ FARM CONGRESS AT DICKINSON
Splendid Addresses and Interesting Discussions Featured the
Mcetng--Cooper, Worst, Shepperd, Linfed Of
Montana and Other Spoke

and loosens the surface. Harrow the
grain after it is up, from it Is three
inches high till it is eight or nine
inches high. II the season is dry use
the weeder on 1t till IL heads out.
When the grain is cut follow the bind
er with the disc; this makes a mulch
and also kills weeds. 1t will save
great deal of moisture from escaping
and will have the land in shape so that
it will pillow we'll
The attendance the second day
would have been much larger than 1t
was, but for heavy snow storm dur
ing the night. This days session was
opened with talk on corn by Prof
w. c. Palmer. He stated that the
main reason for growing corn for some
time would likely be for the good eff
feet that 1t has in preparing the soil
for a crop of grain. 1t being a sort
Of John the Baptist crop, prepar-
ing the way. He recommended leav-
ing at least every fourth or fifth row
of stalks standing to hold snow and to
lessen the effects Of drifting where
the soil is light.
Prof. Thomas Shaw then took the
floor and expounded the doctrine of
dry farming, relating his experiences
in running forty-five demonstration
farms in Montana during the last sea-
son. He said that from this expert
ence he was convinced that crops could
be grown every year with much GER
tainty, but that the land must be pre-
pared If a crop is to be assured in a
dry year. At Chester, Mont, with
rainfall OF seven inches from Septem-
Der, 1909, to September, 1910, he grew
crops that went from twelve to twenty
bushels per acre. This was where the
land had been prepared Without
preparation no crop was the result.
On a good seed bed SOW but TWEEN
ty pounds of seed per acre, was the
startling statement made by Ross
Martin, and a good crop is the result.
twenty-five to thirty-fve bushels per
acre. The wheat stools, when planted
thus so that one plant has from thirty
to sixty stalks and the heads are large
will average thirty-five kernels per
head, while with the ordinary seeding
there will be but about three stalks
per plant and about twenty kernels
per head. If the season is a dry one
the difference is the most marked. He
plows deep, then packs the soil and
makes a soil mulch. Plows the land
only when it is in a good moist condi-
ton. Runs the disc after the binder
which saves moisture and kills weeds.
w. B. Snyder stated that Ignite was
splendid for producer gas, that this is
of good quality and can be produced
cheapIy He thought that it would be
feasible for each farmer to have his
own plant and run his machinery with
gas. That traction gas engines could
be made that could be run with Ignite.
This certainly opens up a fine supply
of power and one that is right at hand
Col. r. A. Wilkinson took for his
subject stock on the farm. He related
| his experiences and observations in
| the eastern part of the state, how
those who had gone into stock raising
and dairying had made the best sue
| cess of their farming.
s. w Unkenholz was on the pro-
gramme for a talk on stock raising.
He spoke of raising corn for feed, Of
grasses for pasture, of alfalfa and
clover for hay relating many Of his
experiences from the time he came to
the state.
the name of the North Dakota Dry
Farming convention. The following
officers were elected for the ensuing
year: E1.,-
President - C. L. Zimmerman.
Mandan.
First Vice President--J. r. Smith,
Beach. ......... ..
Second Vice President-E. s. De
Lancy, Valley City.
Third Vice President-A. A. Lieder-
bach, Dickinson. .....
Secretary Treasurer. r. Waldron.
Dickinson.
John T. Burns, secretary OF the IN
ternational Dry Farming congress
could not. be present at the meeting,
as he had planned. z
In interest and attendance the meet
ing was one Of the most successful
that has been held in the state, show
ing the keen interest that is being
taken In this great movement-dry
farming-that makes 1t possible to
raise crop every year in spite Of the
weather conditions. barring storms
and other unusual things.