Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-12-04
DEVELO PMENT RALLY AT WnLMAR, DEC. 1871
Farming and Commercial Interests of Sixteen
Minnesota Counties Will Be Represented
at Wi]lmar Friday Afternoon and
Saturday Morning of Next Week.

the various counties assured the as
ISOLATION that there would be no
question, but that the offer would be
accepted in their respective localities.
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOM-
PL1SHED.
A campaign in each county was be-
gun in June by the Secretary. He
went into various towns and conferr-
ed with commercial clubs explaining
the scheme in detail and asking for
cooperation. In most every instance
the plan was heartily endorsed an
committees appointed to aid in tbs
work. Later an executive secretary
was hired who again went into the
counties and at the present time sew
en- agricultural agents are workilx
in the following counties: Stevens,
Traverse, Big Stone, Swift, Grant,
Pope, Otter Tail.
Mr.. F. F. Marshall was the first
County Agricultural Agent on the
field. Since Sept. LIST, Mr.. Marshall's
whole time has been devoted to get
ting acquainted with the people and
conditions in Traverse county, and in
assisting to remedy adverse condi-
tons wherever possible. He has aid
ed the Fair managers very much by
helping them arrange their exhibits;
by judging the stock and by valuable
suggestions. Earlier in the fall Mr..
Marshall did much towards getting
the farmers to select their seed corn.
His work along this line alone will
mean hundreds of dollars to Tray
|erse county next year. He has be-
gun the formation Of Community
Breeders Clubs. That is to say, he
is getting groups of farmers who live
near each other to agree to raise
some one kind Of stock and to use
only pure blood sires on their herds.
Where possible he is having each man
in such a group buy pure blood
sire and after he has used him on his
own herd until there is danger of'in-
breeding, the plan is to have him
exchange for the pure blood animal
which his neighbor has been usino
thus saving them both the heav'- ex-
pense Of new animals. After these
Clubs have been formed he proposes
to keep them at work by suggesting
that they test their herds to elimin-
ate the non-proftable animals. Too
many farmers are feeding COWS who
are causing them large annual loss
es but without knowing it. A more
general use Of Mr.. Marshalps simple
method of testing herds will save
thousands Of dollars each year to
the farmers of Traverse county.
Then, he is gettino large number
to lay out their farms in a good five
year rotation Of crops. He goes out
with the farmer and together they
nlan the best method of laying out
that particular farm. A good system
of crop rotation will do much to clear
mans farm Of noxious weeds and
will at the same time conserve and
frequently increase the fertility If
the soil. If a large number Of farm
ers in a community all rotate their
crons they can practically eradicate
most Of the foul seeds which now
cause so much trouble and loss.
Mr.. Marshall is arranging for Il
number of school house meetings this
winter in cooperation with the Coun-
ty Supt. Of Schools and the local
teachers. The object Of these meet
ings will be to promote better social
relationships and at the same time to
get various committees to working
together for better farm conditions.
At some Of the meetings he proposes
to show the children Of the school
how to test seed corn, so that ther
may later aid their father in testing
seed. The men back of Mr.. Marshall
who are supporting him financially
and otherwise are convinced that
two or three years. service will prove
him the best monev saving asset in
the whole county. ~..