Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-31
THE NORTH DAKOTA MAN CROP
|rhe Work 81 Tom Cooper who Is enlisted for the war for better living by
FRANK PARKER srockRtDcE.
|.rUG%-~ Aooearad 0rictnallv in Worlds Work Of November, 1912. @

at once to cooperate. Several othe
counties are now ready to cooperate a
soon as Mr.. Cooper can get the RICH
men to put in charge. Before the en-
of 1912 1t is expected that at least TWEEN
ty-two counties will be organized for tn
Better Farming movement.
THE success of our work depends en-
tirely on getting the right kind Of fel'
agents." said Tom Cooper. I'VE hay
twenty-six men now working in four
teen counties and l could use as man,
more II / knew where to put my hand
on them
The first work Of the Better Farming
association was to arrange for practica
demonstrations in every section, so tho
the farmers might see for themselves ex'
actly what the possibilities are in theil
own localities and on farms substantially!
like their own. More than six hundred
men were found, each Of whom a will
ing to operate a part or all Of his farm
under the direction Of the field agents
for periods Of from one to five years. The
~five-year co-Operators set aside parts o.
their farms as demonstration plats, ant
those who entered into the 1one-year con-
tracts furnished demonstration fields fol
single crops. In either case the land Is
worked by the owner for his own profit
and benefit. but under the direction OF
the associations agents.
Nearly eight thousand acres were sci
o-os,< F1,, <h1 roo 49, 80 M o a., -xhoe,o Il ~,
onstratfon plats, which ranged in size
from 90 to 50 acres. They are thickly
scattered over the entire territory in
which the association operates. In
Wells county alone there are $50 OF them.
Each Of these plats is SO divided among
different crops as to demonstrate that,
by proper methods of crop rotation. the
fertility Of the soil can be maintained
and built up, that the hazard Of crop
production can be decreased, and that,
through proper combinations Of grain.
cultivated crops. grass. and livestock, re-
turns can be greatly Increased.
The Proof Of Alfalfa and Cattle
The agents are proving upon the farm
ers' WI lands that such crops as red
clover and corn will thrive as far north
as North Dakota. The agents are also
proving that wen in the growing of the
old staple crops their knowledge Is prof
liable. Special varieties of wheat and
other grains and fax, from seed selected
and on land titled by agents directions,
are revealing new possibilities in, these
staples. There has been little cattle
farming. either for beef. or dairying in
North Dakota: for it has long been: a
tradition that alfalfa would not grow in
that latitude, and alfalfa is the mainstay
Of the cattle farmer. particularly of the
%dairyman. To rid the minds of the
farmers Of this fallacy Tom .Cooper.tar-
ranged for the planting Of nearly five
thousand acres Of demonstration fields
Of alfalfa; the biggest crop ever planted
so far north. TO prove that livestock of
all classes can be raised probably IN
this state, the association shas arranged
with several farmers to turn owe the
management, Of their aocks and herds to
the field agents. who determine methods
of feeding and breeding. and call the
attention Of other farmers to the results.
And to show that proper rotation, prop
eI tillage, the maintaining of the right
kind of livestock. combined, will make
any farm more profitable, a few entire
farms have been placed under the direc-
ton Of Ton Cooper and his men.
These demonstration farms are select
ed to be easy of access and representa-
tive Of local conditions; they are sufn-
.ciently stocked so that a complete dem
o%nstration Of the value of livestock is
possible.
Still another form of cooperation is in
farm accounting. In 1912 a large mum :
Der of farmers, operating about three
thousand acres. assisted in the work OF
proving the value to the farmer Of accu-
rate records Of cost and income. Some
Of these accounting systems cover a sin
gle ranch of farm work, some a partic-
ular field or crop. and some the entire
farm. Data sheets furnished by the as
ISOLATION are filled out by the farmers
and returned at regular intervals to the
central office, where the records are tab
ulated and the profit or loss calculated.
Besides arranging for demonstration
plats and fields and getting acquainted,
the first springs work Of the Better
Farming field agents was largely devoted
to helping farmers get better seeds for
the 1912 crop. termination tests were
made for more than seven hundred
and in some counties arrangements were
made with the children Of the rural
schools to make tests of their own
grain. The results were surprising and
valuable. Many farmers found that the
grain which they had contemplated SOW.
ing was absolutely unfit for seed and
would have resulted in a complete loss
of the expected crop had it been SOW
ed. In one case the saving to q single
farmer who was about to sow 400 acres
with seed that was found to. be worthless
amounted to more than the years salary
Of the field agent. In another instance
the campaign for better seed resulted in
the sale of more than two thousand dol
lars worth of good seed in % single
small town. Special attention was given
to the selection OF seed corn and the5en-
largement Of the corn area of the state.
This activity resulted in an orer.f,b by the
First National bank Of, Fargo. Of prizes
amounting to. $500 for the highest yield
Of corn per acre, The Rogers. Lumber
company offered prizes aggregating $500.
and "a sweepstake cup for the grand
championship "a offered by a farm pa
per. More than 800 entered. this latter
competition in 1912.
Many things are taught, but the main
point is that they are taught on the
farmers own land. To make this posi-
Bile, each field worker moved with hie
family to the most accessible point in