Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-03-14
M'Dowelrs Plea For Aid In
Developing States Resources

State Senator Mcdowell of Marion,
who has just returned from Wash
ington, made a splendid exposition
before the committee on agriculture
of the house, of the needs of the state
for further help in developing the
agricultural resources of the state
through the extension of agricultu-
raj teachings through the demonstra-
tion farms as proposed in the Lever
bill now pending ia congress. The
senator's address YVES generally COM
mented upon in Washington as an ex-
cellent exposition of the needs of the
agricultural states and it is here pre-
sented in full in the belief that it Will
prove of interest to all readers of
this paper. The address follows:
"It affords ME pleasure to be
present at this time before your COM
mittee to add word of testimony on
the question before you for consid~
GRAFTON on behalf of North Dakota.
North Dakota is new state. Prac-
tically none of our rich lands have
been farmed over twenty-five or .hir,
ty years and I think may safely say
that at least one-half of the state has
only been developed during the last
ten years.
Soil is States Asset
"You know out in North Dakota we
have no forests, or coal mines, or
manufacturing industries to speak of.
Practically all we have is our soil,
That is the states asset and its pres
ervation and the retention of its fer
tility is our greatest aim. You peo-
pie in the East know our state for its
large wheat crops and that grain has
been the chief crop ever since any
lands of our state have been cultt-
waited. The men who settled North
Dakota generally speaking had very
little funds to commence their farm
ing operations. In early days they
broke up the land and let it lay ov-
er q season before planting the first
| crop Of wheat. In later years they
began to SOW flax on the sod immed-
lately after breaking. Wheat and fax
together with oats and barley have
formed the principal crops that have
been grown in the past by our Dako-
ia farmers. Whether it is scientifical-
| ly correct or not, am not going to
say but the fact is that constant SOW
ing and constant planting of wheat
on the same land has caused the
crop to deteriorate in yield so that In
large section of the state, where the
LAND has been farmed for fifteen or
twenty years, we need pretty fair
conditions to produce good crop. 1t
! seems reasonable to suppose that the
wheat crop continually taking the
same elements. out of the soil would
eventually exhaust it. Our farmers
are progressive class OF men and
this condition of impoverishing the
| soil being brought home to them
quite forcibly the last two or three
years in particular has only begun
to turn their attention to better
l.methods of agriculture.
Big Corn Crop
"One-of the big things that out
state has produced this last year has
|-been it's crop Of corn. In the year
l1911 North Dakota had over 100000
acres in corn and am sure that
am giving you a conservative esti-
mate when 1 say that in 1911 North
Dakota produced not less that TO-
O00, 900 bushels of corn. have here
q sample which / brought along to
show you the kind Of corn that we
raise You perhaps Will not consider
II as good as some Of the corn raised
lin Illinois or Indiana and perhaps
some of you gentlemen from the
southern states. can beat it; but Ito
the North Dakota men. 1t has proven
a JOY and blessing. 1t means to us
the possibility of cattle, hogs and all
/ kinds Of stock; is means create,
/ future for our land. It means 70.
tation of crops: 1t means more acres
Of pasture land: In short, it meant q
1diversification on our farms, 80 that
we will have more things to realize
on than we had in the past.
Difference in Farming Problem
The farming problem in North Da-
kota is q different problem than you
have In the eastern states and in the
southland. Our farms are large. The
average farm In our state being near.
!ly four hundred acres and the handl.
Ing Of these large farms must neces.
sarily be done on q different scale
than where men have only forty and
eighty acre tracts as 10 common IN
the older country. We have in ou1