Fergus County Democrat., 1912-07-02
getting less than half of the crop.

SoLIlnS less ludu udlI OI Tie crop.
In 1910 there were two hundred mil
lion acres of wheat, corn and oats
, harvested in the United States. Our
agricultural scientists tell us that we
can increase any crop from four to ten
bushels per acre in single season by
seed selection and proper cultural
! methods.
In spite of the excellent and ener-
getic work of the United States and
state departments of agriculture, the
agricultural colleges and extension de-
partments, farmers institutes, and a
thousand other things which are be-
ing preached by the agricultural press,
the unpleasant fact still remains that
twenty years ago the United States
raised more than six hundred million
bushels of wheat, which is about the
same amount raised in 1911, while our
population has increased nearly thirty
million souls.
Notwithstanding our enormous ac-
tivities, the average yield of corn is
slightly more than thirty-four bushels.
Prize corn growers have demonstrated
that it is possible to grow two hun.
dred and twenty-five bushels to the
acre. The price of flax seed is soar
ing all out of proportion, and barley
is selling for $1.25 per bushel, for
very poor grade at that. The cost of
living is not so high in this country,
but it will be higher in the near fu-
ture If the present tendencies con-
tinue. 1t is common knowledge that
vast areas of land in the original thir-
teen states now lie abandoned Many
farms of the middle west states are
now undergoing rapid soil depletion
as a result of careless farming.
Quoted from eminent authority,
"The American farmer has learned
well the art of agriculture in the hard
school Of experience, but the science
of agriculture is almost unknown to
him, and unknown not only to the
farmers and land owners, but also un-
known to the statesmen, unknown to
the local public officials, unknown to
the teachers of the common schools,
and unknown to the preachers, to the
merchants, to the grain dealers and to
the bankers"
So it is evident that preaching and
the printing of bulletins are not alto
gether satisfactory.
True cooperation means the great
upon this basis Bert Ball, secretary
of the Crop improvement Committee
of the Council of Grain Exchanges of
America, is making an effort to unity
and harmoniZe all of the interests, in
cluding the manufacturers of agricul-
tural implements, fertilizers, grain and
elevator companies, cereal manufac-
turers, chemical manufacturers, rail
roads, bankers, and all other business
interests in national crop improve
ment plan to cooperate with the U.
S. Department Of Agriculture and the
various branches of the extension de-
partment of the state agricultural col
leges. Individual effort at cross pur-
poses will not accomplish satisfactory
results. The plan covers the develop
ment of each county through an ANAL
gamation OF commercial, educational,
transportation and agricultural inter-
ests. 1t advocates the establishment
of trained agriculturists in each of
the counties of all of the agricultural
states in connection with the United
States Bureau of Farm Management,
state agricultural colleges, state COM
merclal associations and local COM
mercial clubs.
The national fund for this purpose
is now being raised in order to offer
81 900 or more to each county in each
state, and state commercial organiza-
tions are ready to form state crop i'm.
provement associations to raise like
amount to that offered to each county
from the national organization. This
fund has been started with one million
dollars by Messrs. Sears, Roebuck &
Co., OF Chicago, who have set aside
the sum $1,000, to be given to each
OF 1000 counties in every state which
will raise fund locally, sufficient to
employ permanent county agricul-
turist and farm demonstrator.
The Government Bureau of Farm
Management also has a fund, and of.
fers to bear from one-third tc one
half OF the expense of this Farm Bu-
reau in any county the plans of which
are acceptable as soon as it's funds
become available for this year. This
will add approximately another ST.
600 to each county ready to raise it's
own fund
While there are scarcely any two
counties operating under exactly the
same plan, the following is the one
recommended by the Crop Improve
ment Committee.
First: That joint meeting be
called by the commercial organization
or organizations, to which there will
be invited editors, railroad men, road
commissioners, superintendent of
county schools, superintendent of the
county farm, the county supervisors
commissioners of county court, as
the case may be-, bankers, millers,
manufacturers, grain buyers, officers
of all farmers and breeders organi-
cations, the leading farmers and land