The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-29
BETTER FARMING MEANS
R|cAESFROM THEEARTH
Two Days Session Was Opened
In Mankato Today.
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
Although somewhat delayed, the
Better Farming congress was open
ed this morning at the Elks' hal
with promise for a very success
full two days session. The hall in
which the meeting was held is large
and spacious, affording enough seat
ing capacity for all who gathered to
be instructed on. improved methods
of farming. Representative farmers
from all over the county were in at
tendance. 80
Because of the weather conditions
this morning, the attendance was
not as large as was expected, but
those who were present were very
much interested in what the speak.
ers had to say and time and again
asked questions and explanations OF
some feature in farming that was OF
particular interest to the one who
asked and also of those who. had
anything to do with agriculture.
Judge Lorin Cray presided at the
meeting and gave the opening ad.
dress. Word had been received that
Professor r. A. Moore, of the Wis.
consin university, had been sudden.
ly taken i'll and so could not attend
any of the sessions of the conven.
ton. However, other speakers would
talk on questions Of Importance to
the farmers, and in keeping with
the purpose of the convention. At
the morning session, Mr.. F. Fl.
scrihner of Rosedale. Wis, substi.
tuted for Professor Moore.
Judge Lorin Cray opened the con.
vention with remarks fitting the oc.
casion. He said: 1@A
"You have seen in the papers,
gentlemen, what these meetings have
been for. The matters to be dis.
cussed are of vital Importance to all
Southern Minnesota and we must
realize that we are an agricultural
region and that our bread and but.
ter depends upon the methods of ag-
riculture. am not q farmer, but
I am keenly interested in agricul-
ture. realize that if we had had
q little better education in the early
days we would have been better off
today" :a.'" q
Mr.. Cray told of the early meth.
DDS Of farming as used by the pio-
neers. There came to be a time
when grain began to ripen that it
would break over so that it would
be impossible to get it and never
knew the reason why. If we had
had experts to tell us what the mat
ter was We would not have sus-
tanned such losses. This happen
ed many years ago. But it may
have been blessing in disguise, as
it made the farmers take more to
stock growing. . -.
: '''Yet this is 4 grain growing coun-
try and we need experts to raise
grain. We have also raised a great
deal of corn here. We had our
troubles in those days as we grew
a very poor variety of corn but by
use of scientific methods we gradu-
ally were able to grow a better
grade of corn. We found that we
had many unfortunate things to con-
tend with. s..s. g.. d. .-..s. ..
g. Grow Remarkable Fruit. e
"We also grow most remarkable
fruit. The soil and climate is well
adapted to the growing of fruit, but
when we came to harvesting and
shipping the fruit and apples we
failed, for we devoted too much at
tention to growing the apples and
then we were unable to dispose of
them. We should devote a little
more time to the business end Of it.
1t is too bad to let these apples
go to waste. -. ........
"Out on the western coast they
cannot raise apples of the same fla
vor as we can in the east.
'1f I were to go crazy on apples,
| would not go west to tho coast
and pay $1,000 an acre for orchard
land. I would go near here or east
and buy land for $25 an acre or
500 an acre and raise apples Of as
good quality as they can out west.
"And right here at home ! think
we can beat them on apples. The
western apples shown on, the coast
last fall, the Lake City apples OF
this state took the highest prices,
but those people do things syste-
matically. Now that we can raise
so good apples, we ought to sol
about things Systematically.
Now il we can increase our !
products Is and 20 per cent the value
Of our real estate will increase ac-
Land in Blue Earth County.
"a man came up here from Illi-i
nois and bought farm for his |
laughter some few miles TO Man.