Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1911-03-09

In VI
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Notwithstanding the short notice
for a farmers institute at Jamestown
a good sized opening day attendance
was seen at the city hall Monday
morning.
Prof. Hoverstad opened the insti-
tute and it soon developed that the
unusual season Of 1910 had made
new problems for farmers to solve.
There were many questions asked as
to the best way to proceed with land
this spring. A great deal of fall
plowing had been done last year and
many of the thistle and weeds turned
under, which grew up in the field
following the drought. The best way
to handle land this spring was evi-
IDENTIFY what every farmer wanted to
know. Prof. Hoverstad stated that
the years experience indicated what
every farmer acknowledged to be a
fact, that less ground should be cul-
tivated and more care given to the
cultivation of what land was farmed.
He asked what was the average yield
in this part of the state of wheat last
year and several farmers thought that
I 1,,,cho1o
the acre. This of course, showed a
loss, and a heavy 6ne instead of a
profit. Prof. Hoverstad gave some
figures regarding the profits on rails
ing wheat in Minnesota covering. q
period of ten years. He said the
figures had been carefully gathered
in three different districts which in
cluded the entire state. The result
showed that on an eight bushel crop
OF wheat during ten years the loss
was $2.79 an acre, on ten bushel
crop loss was s1,Ol on IL bushel
crop the loss was 23 cents. The cost
of raising the wheat included a
charge for interest on the investment
in the land, the time of the men.
and farm help, depreciation in ma
chinery and stock.
On a 16 bushel crop the profit was
shown, to be 1892 an acre and on a
2O-bushel crop, the profit was $4.S7
an acre or one 2O-bushel crop gave a
larger profit than two 16-bushel
crops.
Continuing on the subject of farm
ers finding out the cost of their work
and the raising Of crops, to see wheth-
er they are making or loosing money
on the same. Prof. Hoverstad said at
Monday mornings session, that the
experience of Minnesota farmers
ought to be profitable to North Dako-
ia as showing that there was practi-
cally no profit in wheat raising under
I q Is or 16 bushel crop per acre; and
he showed that there was twice as
much profit in the 20 bushel crop as
in the 16 bushel crop. The statistics
Of crop cost are being systematically
continued in Minnesota, and the re-
suit will be known on longer periods
$&hanstens years. On which the atistics
ssTisferred to we're gathered.
Farmers were begged to keep ac-
curate accounts as far as possible of
the cost Of their farming operations,
and 1t is believed that II would be a
paying investment for the farmers Of
some one township to employ q book
keeper to, keep books for the whole
township, to determine the cost OF
their farm operations. Every farmer
is entitled to reasonable profit on
his work and should know the cost OF
things.
The Problem Of 1911 ......
Returning to the problem of how
to handle land the coming spring
the question Of fall and spring plow.
ing came up. and which was the bet.
ter. +. ri ss 81 /
Mr.. SINNERS stated that his exper-
fence with wheat growing following
millet had not been satisfactory, con.
trary said Mr.. Hoverstad, to the gen
eral experience. 81.
Spring plowing for oats is regard
I ed as much better than fall. and Il
all plowing could be done II the
spring it might be on the whole 9
better time to plow pc the stubblse
\ holds more snow. and leaves more