The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05

farms and the development of power
here and in other parts of the coun-
| try. The development of water
power will mean the eventual build
ing of interurban railways in South,
ern Minnesota. .
Address BY Mr.. Maxfield.
This afternoon Hon. H. J. Max
| field, state immigration commission,
err, spoke on Immigration" Mr.
! Maxfield said that he was surprised
that Southern Minnesota was the
| last section of the state to organize
a development league. Other Sec
tons have already organized. North
| Dakota has several development
| leagues. ut is not the farmers alone
who are interested in the leagues !;
for the most part they are fathered
by the cities. The business inter,
ests recognize as they never did be-
fore that they must advance those
| of the agriculturist. Cities cannot
grow without having a growth in
the rural sections.
81 have oft repeated this state.
ment, that the state has over fifty
million acres of land, and less than
twenty million acres of these lands
are under cultivation. Less than
given over to the purposes for which
they were intended, that Of produc-
ing food for the nations.
Southern Minnesota has but a
very small percentage of land that
is not cultivated and producing
wealth. The question of wild land
does not affect you like it does the
people of Northern Minnesota. Their
chief question is the settlement of
the lands. Your chief question is
that of getting the best results from
the farming Of your lands. You pro-
duce at the present time a certain
average number of bushels of corn,
wheat, oats and other grains per
acre. If it is possible for you
through scientific and systematic
methods of farming to increase the
annual yield per acre materially,
then your association, if it contrib.
utes to this result, will be for you
great success" .......
Brief Remarks BY S. D. Works.
Senator S. ID. Works spoke along
the line of agriculture. He believed
that the farmer could do considerable
by the introduction Of new methods
and new stock. The introduction oil
high grade cattle would be one OF
! the best means of bringing the farm.
er up with the active and modern
business man.
Senator Works gave some OF his
earlier experiences as farmer. The
purchase of modern farm machinery
was one of the ways of accomplish.
ing the introduction of modern farm.
ing. The growing of particular
variety of potatoes or seed, would
help also as a country or district do
| ing this would give that district a
reputation for that seed and would
be inviting to others.
"Men that believe in their country
and ready to stand up under all con-
ditions are factors in building up
their own country" he said. He
spoke on the development of farms,
especially where cattle are raised.
The farmer, he said, should be just
as alert as any other business man
and he would soon revolutionize the
farm business.
E. Kruger, president of Farmers
club of Tracy discussed Mr.. Furlong's
talk He agitated the formation of
farmers clubs. eff the farmers can
not succeed the business men cannot
succeed. There has often been bad
| feeling between the farmer and bust
ness man, one trying to beat the
other, but that is not right. We
ought to cooperate and then we can
establish good business relations
Officers Chosen.
Officers were chosen as follows:
| President, F. G. Bonnallie, Tracy;
first vice president, George r.
Thompson, Chatfield; second vice
president, A. Blodgett, Faribault;
secretary, C. r. Ball, North Man.
kato; treasurer, J. B. Ludlow, Rush.
] more.
More Than One Hundred Delegates.
| There are lie representatives from
forty towns at the congress.
Lorin Cray and E. F. Soaring had
been suggested for president az
secretary of the new league and both
positively declined.
! President Glotfelter of the State
Agricultural society spoke briefly
He referred to the needs of the
state fair.