The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1912-06-20
Demonstration Train Drew
Large Crowds.

Farmers Institute Train pulled into
Oakes over the Northern Pacific rail-
road, hundreds of men, women and
children, consisting of farmers, busi-
ness men and their families, were on
hand to take in this great institute on
wheels. The day had been wet one,
but that did not deter any of the far
mers from being present in time to
take in all that the allotted time would
allow. 1t is really shame that the
time was so limited as the crowd was
large and not made up of merely pes
simistic people, but of those who hold
the most optimistic views of farming
in North Dakota, and in particular
demonstrations of this kind as the
most beneficial thing that can be done
for the farmers of the state.
1t is certainly fact that the alluvi-
al deposits right here in North Dako-
ia are the richest of any of the north
western states, and nothing could
keep a farmer from raising the best
of crops if he would only farm the
land, farm it right and on a scientific
basis. The time is past when the
ground can be scratched, the seed
thrown to the four winds and the far
mer sit back and see his crop mature
and reap harvest OF gold dollars; it
has come to the time when the farm
has to be put on a basis of scientific
farming. No more will you see a
bumper crop raised unless the proper
farming methods are used, and the
sooner the farmers get down to busi-
ness the sooner will the state of North
Dakota give up to the tillers of the
soil all she has to give. Agriculture
is in a class of its own just as any
other business is separated from other
occupations. The banker is one class,
the merchant comprises another, and
so on down the line, but farming and
farming right is the biggest class of
all, and is a class all by itself. This
fact is being impressed more forcibly
each year upon the minds of all.
We are of the opinion that the farm
ers and business men of Dickey coun-
ty made mistake when they failed
to take advantage of having one or
two farming experts permanently To-
Gated here. They are just like a
teacher in school room with large
bunch of children. What would hap
pen to our educational departments in
this state if the children were sent to
school without any teacher to instruct
them or keep them within due bounds
of all department. rules? OF course
they would get along some way, just
like good many farmers do. But
would they get out of their school life
all there is in it, with no one to gov
ern them? The same rule will apply
on a smallersscale to majority of the
farmers of today. Any man can farm
and get some kind of crop, but it
takes a man of brains, experience
and plenty of common sense to get
all there is out of the soil, and very
few do it unless they have training
along scientific lines.
This train was the finest equipped
far the purpose ever placed on wheels
and the benefits derived by numerous
farmers over the state will he meas
ured in the thousands of dollars class.
Among those in charge of the train
were: President Worst, Superinten-
dent Hoverstad, Dean J. H. Shepperd,
R. 9. Donohue, soil expert, o. w.
Dynes, W. B. Richards, the live stock
expert, and his assistant, E. j. Thomp.
son; Prof. H. L. Bolley, the botanist
and flax expert; Professor Millraith
and Professor Stevens who will assist
him; Miss Jessie M. Hoover, of the
home assistants, Miss Alice P. Hag-
CERT, Miss Jean Watt Donaldson; G.
L. Martin of the dairy department;
Professor Van Ess and DR.. Crewe OF
the live stock department; w. G.
Palmer.