Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-16
MILLION IS. GIVEN
TO HELP FARMER

SHlCdSO, NOV 1o.-OI1CldlS Oh Iu6
International Harvester company an
ncunced yesterday the establishment
of an agricultural service bureau on a
broader scale than heretofore attempt
ed by private corporations.
Professor Perry G. Holden, former
ly dean in the Iowa State Agricul-
trral college and known as an author
ity on corn, has been made head of
the bureau. 1t is understood the Har-
vester company has set aside $1,000
0GG for this work.
I'VE expect this department to be
of great aid to the farmers under Pro-
fessor Holden's direction" said Clar-
ence S. Funk, general manager of the
company.
This isn't exactly philanthropy, be-
cause We expect to sell more agricul-
tural implements as a result, but We
its We believe that as part of the
community we owe it something in the
way of educating it in the direction
OF greater proauctiveness."
A statement issued by the company
is in part as follows:
During the last ten years Profess
sor Holden, through his work in Or
genizing demonstration corn trains,
short courses and the like, has revo-
| lLtionized corn growing in Iowa.
ut is estimated he has increased
the yield of the entire state over
three bushels an acre. Senator Cum
MI inc hno 10 ata ant hof 10
work in Iowa alone has been worth
over $30,000,000 to that state.
1T is the purpose of the harvester
company to broaden the scope of Pro-
| fessor Holden's work so his activities
will cover not only Iowa but the en-
tire corn belt There are approx
mately 100000 acres given over to
the raising of corn in this country.
by more intensive cultivation it is
believed this average yield can be in
creased several bushels an acre. An
effort is also under way to show the
boil weevil states how to make the
corn crop as profitable as the cotton
crop.
THE employment of Professor Hol-
den is the climax of the active coop
Grafton which the International Har.
vester company service bureau has
been carrying on for several years
with agricultural colleges and govern.
ment experiment stations.
ain the southern states the company
has established three demonstration
farms, under the direction of experts
Two more such demonstration head
quarters have been started in the Da
kotas, and plans are under considera
ton to cover in similar way the cen
trail and eastern states.
Those farms are used as starting
points for state wide agitation toward
more intelligent and profitable farm
ing. High grade seed is distributed
free of charge or at nominal cost.
Educational steyeopticon slides and
moving picture films are kept in con
, slant circulation, and several paiC
lecturers are in the employ of the
! company
I'VE are giving Professor Holden tt
the nation. He is the Burbank o
the corn field. What he has done fol
, Iowa ought to be done for every STATE
in the union. AS a nation we are rails
ing only about two-thirds of the
/ amount of corn we ought to raise OF
: the acreage planted, and, worse thar
that, we are wearing out the soil al
! fast as we can"
The International Harvester com
I pany has hired Professor Perry G
, Holden, the Burbank of the corr
1 field" to head a service bureau
: through which the concern plans t.
SPEND 100000 in the education o
the farmers of the corn belt.