The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-16


word and at the conclusion OF his dis
course IN animated discussion follow
ed. several in the body OF the house
taking part.
Superintendent Porter gave a NUM-
Der OF statistics in regard to demon
stration farms at Wahpeton and else
where to illustrate his points, telling
of the rainfall in different localities
and of the soils and their respective
needed treatments. He first took up.
the definition OF dry farming and de-
clared that it was the science Of stor-
ing rainfall in the soil for the use of
a crop at a later period.
"All of North Dakota is in the dry
farming area though drainage will al
so be necessary on many farms as well
as the application Of dry farming
principles ! n order to conserve mois-
ture," said superintendent Porter.
Thirty inches OF rainfall in Texas
would be about the equivalent Of
eighteen inches in North Dakota. One
heavy rain is very more effective than
several light showers which would
show the same amount Of precipitation.
A fine soil requires much less rain
than a coarse soil. This is one rea-
son why the Golden valley is so fer
tile and why coarse, sandy soils suf-
fer so much from drought"
Then Mr.. Porter went on to the
subject of crop rotation and declared
that mo permanent system Of dry
land agriculture can ever be estab-
lished in this section Of the north
west without a rotation containing
alfalfa or some other legume, culti-
waited crop and live stock enough to
eat up all the roughage produced on
the farm.
"If the dry farmer" he went on 10
say, is to be successful he should
thoroughly study rotation of cultivated
legume n grain crops and the meth
DDS of turning all the roughage pro-.
duced on the farm into eggs, butter,
wool or meat"
In speaking of the difference there
would have been in the crops in the
last two years had dry farming been
universally practiced in North Dakota,
he drew forth much comment from
the delegates in body of the house.
One man endorsed his sentiments
and said he felt dry farming was
something not to be laughed at,
but considered seriously If this
try would make the best of Its oppor-
with applause, and Others spoke, CO.
NEEDING with the same view ex-
pressed by Superintendent Porter.
Farm Editor Heard.
The next speaker was Hugh ].
Hughes Of Minneapolis, editor of The
1 Farm s. Sfnal q md AT EJOnNc fhn uv1soaf
farm Journal Of the northwest, who
spoke on the subject of cooperation.
Editor Hughes is in charge OF the
fine booth of his concern at the corn
show and his writings are familiar
to all the readers Of The Forum, as
he vas in charge o: the publicity
work at the A. c. for a number of
years.
Speaking before the tri-state
grain growers, Editor Hughes of
Farm, Stock and Home, Minneapolis,
pointed out the fact that the three
necessary factors in any community
were the farmer, the merchant, and
the banker, and that without the CO.
operation of these three, the highest
prosperity. of the community cannot
be attained. He likened the situation
to that of a poker game where each
interest is trying for itself to live,
in part at least, at the expense OF
the others, and pointed out that the
only way to satisfactorily build ur
country life and prevent the exodus
to the cities is to establish a more
complete understanding between the
three great interests that make ur
our business life.
The fact was brought out that the
capitalization on the farm vas not
well balanced; that the farmer has toe
much invested in land in comparison
to what, he has in stock, machinery
buildings and working capital, and
that consequently the great need Of
the farmer is capital to develop the
land already titled rather than to Sc.
cure more acres. In the securing Of
this capital he needs the corporation
of the banker, who should oan thu
money on the basis Of productive re.
turn, favoring such enterprises al
dairying and live stock production
that gives promise of ample s~ecurit!
and immediate and direct return OF
the investment.
The speaker further said that TIL,
business relationship between tn,
merchant and the farmer could be ma
terialIy improved by the establish
ment OF a cash system Of doing bust
ness and that were such a system
established, eliminating the bat
debts that largely account for the higl
prices charged by s~torekeepers, tina
a quality OF goods could be sold at
price which would eliminate foreigl
competition. Editor Hughes reasone'
that the credit system works to tn
detriment of the farmer because /
forces the merchant and the banke
on a credit basis, which in turn con
vinces the great banking centers tina
the farming propositions of the ives
is not altogether safe, and that tn
final result is a material lowering o
the price of lands below the poin
justified by actual crop returns.
He recommended that every rom
mercial club have in its MEMBERSHIP
the strongest farmers in the commun
ity; that these clubs sh0uld undertake
to do for the community the thing
most necessary to upbuild 1t, not !
the interest Of the bankers, nor TIL
merchants, o the farmers. but fo
the common good OF all. and he hel
that were this done that the tide {
life and property would cease to flo
toward the cities and that a retur
tide would set in toward the farm.
In place OF State Engineer Atkinson
who, as previously stated, was unabl
to be present today, PROF.. M. L. WA
son of Bozeman, Mont, assistant !