The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-20
Plan FOR
Lean YEAR
SAYS HILL
Urges Farmers Not to Be Over
Confident
HOverstad, Formerly Of N, D.,
Talked Yesterday
Minnesota Day at theNsrth
west Products Show

Minneapolis, Nov. 2O.-Large crops
have their disadvantages as well as
their .compensations, according to
James ]. Hill. empire builder.
Mr.. Hill, speaking before the second
Minnesota convention and agricul-
turai congress al the armory said that
one OF b great disadvantages Of a
big crop was that farmers lulled Them
selves into fancied security.
People read returns from the har-
vest fields this fall and conclude that
soil fertility cannot have been impair
ed where the yield per acre is 81 far
above the acre average" said Mr.. Hill.
Worse yet, the farmer himself, lulled
into fancied security by the large crop
Of 1912, unconsciously assune that
this years experience is likely to be
repeated without any special effort on
his part.
ton is to lift agriculture to the rank
Of q science well understood and prac-
tically applied"
Many Addresses To-day.
There were addresses by Archbishop
ireland, Henry Wallace Of Des Moines;
Dean Wood. Of the agricultural school;
Professor A. v. Storm, Of the Univer-
stty of Minnesota, and A, e. Cham
berIain, agricultural expert of the
Great Northern railway.
Before the formal opening of the
congress yesterday there was a special
farmers conference led by T. A.
Hoverstad, agricultural expert Of the
500 line. The general subject dis
cussed was The Soil and the Planting
Of Crops.
1.-THE farmers of Minnesota need
just such lessons as the Conservation
congress is giving Them" said Arch
bishop Ireland. "The fault Of many
is that they are not responding to sug-
gestions. They are living as in the
pioneer days, watching their trees and
counting their COWS.
Home conditions should be improv-
ed that we may love our farms. The
rust of the city is largely because of
the lack of social culture"
After warning those present of the
dangers OF oyer-conidence because OF
q great crop one year, Mr.. Hill said
that agricultural problems should be
studied to help when lean harvests
were the rule. He said that farming
was a falling occupation, that the per
centage of urban life increases and
that Of rural life decreases.
Farm Populations Slow Gain.
"In 80 years the rural population
has fallen "a per cent in this coun'
try" continued Mr.. Hill. For forty
years. including a period marked by
the greatest advance in other indus.
tries, immense growth of railroad
transportation, lowering of rates or
farm commodities to our prineipa.
markets, and all the inducements that
should bring men to the farm and in
crease it's output, farm population re.
ceives only a small increase, the num-
- 80 49, 90 --a
and the acre yield OF four principal
crops shows a falling off in every
case.
Men are being wasted in the city
who are needed in the country. The
lives Of those who are fixed by choice
or necessity to the soil are to SOM
extent wasted because consumed IN
unintelligent and Intellectual efforts
The soil is being unskillfully treatet
and is returning a diminishing prod
uct."
Banking Reform Urged.
Characterizing the farmer of toda!
as q business man in every n o
the word, Edmund ID. Fisher, deput!
comptroller of New York city, address
ed the congress on banking reform anC
it's interest to the aSriculturist. III
said that the farmers business is prog.
crossing at such a rapid rate tina
broader credit relations U De de
veloped between him and the banker
He urged a central banking system
'The fear OF central control is tn
fear OF the ignorant mind" he said
Prosperity in this country means higl
money rates which in turn kill pros
perity. The delegates to this congress
have a duty to perform. They should
pass strong resolutions in favor of the
Imperative need Of banking reform AM
then e that their representive col
gressmen take prompt action"
Mr.. Wallace Pleads for Schools.
Henry Wallace, OF Des Moines, win
was a member of the Roosevelt o
ty| life commission, spoke. The arith
metic OF the rural school should be tn,
arithmetic of the farm rather than .
the customs house and the factory, AM
the pupil there should learn how Z
measure distances by counting fenc
posts rather than earn the distanc
of the stars from the sun. moon ant
earth, according TO Mr.. Wallace.
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