Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-02-08
DIVERSIFIED M
JACOB o. WICKRE, OF DAY
COUNTY, PROMINENT
ON STOCK SHOW PROGRAM
He Makes a Splendid Talk on
Diversified Scientific Farm
ing. The Mitchell Repub-
lican Gives the Fol-
lowing Report

AT the meeting Of the South Dakota
Improved Live Stock Association
Jacob Wickre Of independence town
ship was on the program. He spoke
for about an hour without using a
note or hesitatiug for a word or a zig.
ure. He has Ueen very highly compli-
mented by the leading Agriculturslists
of the state and Day county may we'll
be proud Of him. The Mitchell Daily
Republican contains the following
about his speech.
'One of the most interesting fea.
lures of the evening speeches was that
Of Jacob O. Wickre, or Langford. a
young man who is the product of the
South Dakota State College. The
young man has taken a thorough
course in the agricultural department
and is now back on the farm carrying
into effect what he learned there-do
ing the real scientific farming which
is taught at the school. The young
man has demonstrated the fact that
there is much and more to the scien-
tihc side of agriculture. His address
was devoted mostly to the question of
scientific diversified farming, with
particular reference to the soil and
what it should contain to produce
abundant crops. Mr. Wickre called at
tention to the conditions in certain
foreign countries where the govern.
ment has enlisted it's efforts in bring
ing to the farmers over there the
knowledge of how to get the most from
their land and at the same time to
preserve the elements in the soil and
not rob it of what is needed to repeat
its work each succeeding year. He
touched on the point how the soil from
the east to the west has been worked
for the present to get the most out of
it in the way of crops without restor-
ing the vitality, and it was this point
that the young man emphasized as be-
ing one of the most vital confronting
the farmer TO-DAY, and he said 1T was
only necessary to go back into Iowa
and Illinois to find farms there which
are being sold at low prices just be-
cause of the lack of the qualities IN
the soil to produce the crops.
Gave His Experience.
"Mr Wickre referred to his " ex-
periences and experiments he had
made on his fern up in Day county.
He made a thorough examination of
his ground and found what qualities
needed building up, and made the ex-
pertinent of setting aside various plots
of ground and using different fertili-
zers to see the effect on the crop pro-
duction. Two of the plots he left
without any fertilizer 81 that the land
would be in its natural state. Mr.
Wickre stated that the crop product
from each of those plots of ground
ranged from Is to 80 bushels per acre,
the latter being from ground where
the conditions of soil quality we've
about right. The young man empha.
sized the idea that it is absolutely
necessary to replenish the soil after
reaping the reward by the use of ferti
lizers. He questioned the right of the
present day farmer to use all the coed
qualities of the soil in his efforts tc
raise the crops and not leave anything
for the future generation.
Like the Department Store.
MIR Wickre likened the farm to
that of the city department store,
mentioning the vari ous and important
lines of work on the farm, including
the horses, the cattle. the swine, the
poultry. all the by-products and the
soil, which he declared to be the foun-
dation for all farming, and when this
stock YVES run out the business was
practically done for. Asked as to
whether scientific farming paid, Mr.
Wickre said that when he raised more
crops on 100 acres than farmers did on
twenty-five sections west of where he
lived, be believed that the question
was answered pretty thoroughly. He
stated in addition that his corr up in
the northern part Of the state. which
all will agree is not a sure corn coun-
try, averaged him 80 bushels per acre
last year, while that of his neighbors
went considerably less.
Agriculture In Schools.
I'm closing his remarks, Mr. Wickre
made the statement that scientific az
riculture is to be delivered to the
farmer by the government carrying it
to the farmer-be felt quite sure that