The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-15
BIG FARMING
MEET At MANDAN
Dry Farming Congress a
Distinct Success-Many
in Attendance

Mandan, N. D., March 15.-Morton
county Dry Farming congress held
the boards at Mandan this week. The
meeting was held at the Commercial
club rooms. Many of the best farm
ers Of the county were in attendance.
discussions. Mr.. Nelson of Glen Ill
lin. the president. was present but
prevailed upono Supt. Hoverstad t
preside ove the meeting.
The program included some Of tho
best dry farming experts in the north.
west. Prof. Thomas Shaw in his adj
dress on dry farming called attention
to the fact that dry farming can not
be carried out in n veal. The prep
arations for the crop must begin the
year before. He recommended that a
part Of the farm be hummer fallow-
ed and a part of it put into q cultivat-
ed crop. So that the grain crop shall
come after a cultivated crop or on
summer fallow.
d. E. Willard who had made a geo
logical survey. of the county called
contain a large percentage Of silt
which gives them good water holding
capacity. He urged that the farmers
study the nature of the soil and han.
die 1t according to its fineness OF
c~oarseness.
A. e. Chamberlain discussed the
principles according to which water
moves in the soil. He demonstrated
that h moisture moves freely
ed deep blowing and the making Of
a good seed bed. He advised discins
before the pillow in order to make this
seed bed. The point he emphasized
was to have the soil In a condition so
that h plant roots N in contect
with fine soil that is we'll supplied
with moisture.
L. r. Waldron in talking alfalfa
classed the alfalfa as the best forage
plant that this section has and that It
ought to be grown much more ex-
tensively than it is at present. That
1t VIII yield on an average two tons
to the acre. He reported that in his
experiments he had had good results
with growing It in rows and that sown
IN this way 1t will resist dry weather
better than when gron in drills. He
reported good results it'll the growing
OF swee clover, that 1t has about the
same feeding value of alfalfa and that
stock will eat it and do we'll on it
when they get used to it. He also re-
ported that he had taken the wild sand
cherry and by ~cultivating 1t had de-
veloped 1t into quite a bush and hat
he had picked as much as a peck of
fruit from each plant after it had had
care for a few years. He has also
tried the wild Missouri currant and
found that 1t yielded much heavier
than the cultivated c%urrants.
The importance of fertility in dry
farming was discussed by w. c. Pal
mer. He called attention to the re-
suits secured by DR.. Widtsoe of Utah
who has found that 1t requires less
moisture to produce a crop on a we'll
handled soil than on one that is poor
~ handled. For instance. corr grown
on summer fallow or on land that had
beer MANFRED made more growth
with a given amount Of moisture than
did corn growing on land that was in
poor shape. This means that keeping
the soil fertile is one of the most ef-
fective ways of making the water do
the most good.
A telegram from John T. Burns,
secretary Of. the International Dry
Farming congress. was read. He wish
ed the management much success,
and urged that exhibits and delegates
be sent to the Dry Farming congress
that will be held at Alberta next Oc-
tober.
In the election Of oficers J. T. Mel.
son OF Glen Ullin was reelected, and
e. NJ. Bosworth of Flasher was elected
secretary.
e. l.. Zimmerman Of Mandan and
e. N. Bosworth of Flasher were elect
ed delegates to the International Dry
Farming congress.
Many Of the farmers present re-
ported good results with the dry
farming practices.