Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-12-20
HELPS TO
DEVELOP STATE
Agencies for Betterment of Agricul-
tural Conditions Have Done
Much TO Improve Crops
By b. G. Packer

Commissioner of Immgratlon)
Never in the agricultural, industrial
and commercial history of Wisconsin
have conditions been so good and so
full of promise as in 1912 Farm, fac
tory and financial house alike bear wit
ness.
Aside from a soil naturally prolific,
this can be largely attributed to the
effective organizations promoting agrl-
culture, industrial life and commercial
enterprises These movements are
back of every homeseeker and he is es-
pecially interested in those relating to
agriculture. They are his.
Here are seventy-six county and dist
riot agricultural societies and siXty-two
county or district cooperative live
stock breeders associations. The Wis
consin Experiment association has near
ly 1000 members growing pedigreed
seed grains. It's achievements are &C
knowledged in foreign countries. An
officer of the Carton Seed company of
England recently stated to the writer:
"You Wisconsin people have the
greatest pure bred seed growers or
ganization in eXistance."
However, there is much cooperative
effort in the production of better grains
experimenting the work of this associ-
alton. Several hundred farmers are
growing these high quality crops in
connection with the various experiment
farms throughout the the state. More
than q, 900 school boys last year en-
gagged in such work. cooperating with
county fairs, participating in forty
seven grain contests in forty-four coun-
ties. Many worked in similar manner
with the State Bankers association.
In 1911, 500 members of one northern
county seed growers association plant
ed an acre each of a superior variety
of corn developed at the experiment
station, and letters received by the i'm
migration board from It's participants
show yields varying from forty-fve to
seventy bushels of ripe shelled corn
and this in district once heavily COW
ered with pine. Only fourteen of this
number reported adversely
In like manner, aggressive campaigns
are being conducted by the State Live
Stock Breeders association.
Similar activity is seen in the COM
munity production of potatoes near
Waupaca, Conrath. Almond, Spooner
and a number of other towns in the
newer districts. Those potato growers
are urged to unite upon one or two
varieties in accordance with commerce
ial standards to make careful seed
selection according to type and free
dom from disease and more attention
is now given to sorting and grading in
the field and at loading stations. Cor
responding results are being secured
along horticultural lines. The state
has approximately 5000 creameries and
cheese factories and of these $50 are
owned by cooperative societies. A
recent interesting phase of similar
effort is the community ownership of
steam land clearing machinery.
No state with as large an area of de-
sirable undeveloped lards open for set
tlement possesses as energetic host
of local and statewide agricultural part
Aerships as are to be found in Badger
dom. These associations are pointed
and definite in purpose and today are
more numerous, more effective and
more generously supported from priv
purse and public fund. Several humid
red thousands of dollars are annually
contributed by the state in support of
its agricultural activities and all of
this splendid work is furthered bv
much private contribution of time.
labor and money. The result of all this
effort is at the disposal of homeseekers
Back of all these organizations is a
productive soil, and our present agri-
cultural supremacy can be measured
by the effective labors of these move
ments which have secured, and still
are seeking more and better products
from field, yard and orchard