The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-07

~ NuAA ~ NANC 90 " ~
a position too primitive to be regarded
as progressive.
The soil is to the plant what blood
is to the animal. If the animals blood
is sucked out by swarms of parasites,
it suffers and declines.
The weeds are to the crop what lice
are to cattle and the farmer that toler-
ates lousy stock or weed-infested
fields, the former sucking the life blood
from his live stock or the latter sap
ping the fertility and the moisture
from the soil can neither hope for
profit nor to stand in the ranks of
those who work for the good OF the
state or live to better mankind. For
any man, having at best only a life
lease on q piece of ground, but VINO
leaves 1t worse than he found it is a
detriment to the state. Human greed
has indeed reached a deplorable plane
when, for personal gain or through
carelessness. Heavens choicest gift to
humanity-the Soils debauched. Ig-
norance Of proper farm management,
even, is not a plausible Excuse, since
the light Of science and the experience
of practical men pour foods u in
formation upon every subject that
bears upon agriculture.
The Soil is Sacred.
Business has its limitations. Pro-
fessional service is a great convent
ence while the forest, mine, and fac
tory contribute immeasurably toward
supplying the wants OF mankind, but
the soil is more sacred than all these.
The world would speedily become the
scene of universal death and desolation
il the soil were to suspend her pro-
ductive forces for even a brief period
of time.
Our country and especially our state
depends upon the farms and the farm
ers for not only food, but for general
prosperity. Our farm products are
indispensable. They support tEe rail-
roads, the banks. the business houses,
and the professional classes. Little
wonder, therefore, that agriculture
should I'LL such a large place in the
public mind. But strange. very strange,
that the chief benehciaries OF agricul-
ture. those who make u laws, should
appropriate SO s~paringly toward de-
~veloping this fundamental industry
when the public welfare demands that
1t be developed to the very utmost and
also digniied by means OF every edu-
cational agency that pedagogical
genius can devise. The sooner agri-
culture is raised to the rank OF a
learned profession and made an at
tractive and honorable career for am
bilious and scholarly young men, the
sooner will the nation be fortified
against ultimate want and national
decay. A strong, healthy, virile, rural
population is the best guarantee Of a
nations present and future greatness.
The question of want may be very re-
mote, but ommon patriotism lends
itself to the far future as well as to
the immediate present. We, who to-
day enjoy the institutions that the
fathers OF the republic purchased with
their blood more than a century and
a quarter age should be no less pa
triotic in transmitting to future gen.
erations a soil capable of sustaining
the increased millions that will live
under our flag. Any system Of soil
exploitation, therefore, is a crime
against posterity.
Conservation Of Natural Resources.
1t becomes our duty. for reasons
already stated. to conserve our natural
resources, chief OF which is the fer
tility of the soil. To do this, nature
is indeed most friendly. The limited
precipitation obviates the teaching OF
the soil. The 'trun-offs' resulting
from excessive down-pours of rain, SO
common in humid countries and which
contributes such heavy tolls OF fer
tility TO the swamps and TO the sea,
are not experienced to any serious ex-
tent in our state. And yet the rain-
fall is sufficient, il carefully conserved
at all times, to produce abundant
crops, IL weeds are reduced TO negltg-
ible numbers by means Of careful seed
selection and thorough tillage. More
over, too much attention cannot be
| given to the conservation OF moisture
for a reserve OF soil water is the besl
insurance against drought. Summed
showers OF sIfiicient volume and FREE
queney cannot always be relied upon
Should q dry period of any consider
able length occur between seed time
and harvest, the crop is put in jeopardy
and often impaired If not totally ruin
ed. But when the sub soiI il kept
well supplied with moisture, there Ii
always a reserve Of soil water to tide
the crops over the dry periods that
are liable to occur. The system known
as 'dry-farming' will either accom-
| plish this purpose or very greatly less
en- the chance OF crop failure. UndeI
any circumstances, an element SO OBJ
viously important as water should mol
be neglected, however much extra la
Dor MAJ be required to conserve It.
Deep Flowing.
Speaking only IN general terms, ii ii
safe to advise deep plowing as q rule
Deep blowing viii entertain a con.
siderable rainfall without any run-off
and IL thoroughly compacted at time
OF plowing and the surface broken III
whenever feasible, should a downpour
of rain cement the soil particles to-
gether and form a crust, 1t will. to a
great extent, prevent evaporation
| Deep blowing also affords a CORE
spondingly larger feeding space for tho
roots Of growing plants. The frequent
cultivation recommended for the pur-
pose of conserving moisture tends tc
destroy weeds which do more toward
producing droughty conditions than il
generally realized. AS before stated
weedy fields are evidence Of poor
farmers, ! mean this In its two-foId
sense.
Corn and Alfalfa.
The more thorough tillage recon
naended cannot be had under any sys.
tenn Of single cropping without NOR
added expense for teams and men thar
conditions warrant. The farmers or the