Yellowstone monitor., 1913-05-01
THURSDAY. MAY l, 1918.


is the natural outgrowth of the uni
versal desire of all farming communi
ties to improve their land by prevent
ing deterioration. In other word!
ITO make two blades of grass grow
where only one grew before and fin
ally to create and maintain bette,
and more permanent market for the
product of their investment and theil
labor.
For many years past, in fact almost
since the cessation Of hostilities in
the Civil war. the government has
spent millions of dollars in the devel-
opment Of agriculture, seeing therein
the truth of the maxim that our farms
are 1.-The rock upon which the govern
ment is built
One scientific discovery has follow
ed another in such rapid succession, as
the result of such patient research
work, that, at the present time, the
government is prepared to furnish free
to those who wish it such complete in
formation on every branch and phase
Of farming, that failure would seem
an impossibility.
Much of the credit for this good
work must be given to Jim Wilson,
for many years Secretary of Agricul-
ture, and we cannot help wondering
if the Prof. M. l.. Wilson who is CO.
ing to help US organize our Better
Farming Club" is any relation to his
illustrious namesake, and if he is, he
will have to ''go some' to keep in
the same class.
However that may be, we find our
new professor comes from the same
state, Iowa, having been a teacher
in the Ames Agricultural College Of
Ames, near Des Moines, and that that
is going some we can state with per-
feet truth.
Mr.. Wilson is a great believer in
the possibilities of Montana as corn
raising state and while there are still
some skeptics who doubt it, we can
point to the fact that it has only
bee. five or six years ago, when peo-
pie, especially those from the effete
east, didn't believe we would ever
be able to raise anything-except
cattle and an occasional warwhoop.
AS great as has already been our
success in wheat and other small grain,
the end is not yet, and it is confident
ly hoped that the next year or two
will see enormous development in the
production of corn and alfalfa; the
raising Of hogs, horses and poultry;
and the organization Of many scienti-
fic dairy farms, for in these things
will eventually be our lasting great
ness and our power.
The Better Farming Club" idea,
while making its initial bow to the
farming public in North Dakota, was
really one Of the children Of Jim Will
sons prolific brain, for it had always
been his intention to see the govern
mental experiment stations, supple
mented and finally supplanted by these
local clubs, and this is fast being &C
complished.
The whole idea of these clubs 10 one
of Community of interests, " as they
tend to utilize the experiences and
results attained in each separate COM
munity; for it il now known that con-
ditions being different in different Sec
tions, no one exact and given rule can
be used in all cases.
The Club plan would bring al farm
ers of each section in closer personal
touch with each other and by swapping
experiences much real good would be
accomplished.
In addition to this, there would be |
an expert appointed, whose duty it |
would be to work right with each
farmer, teaching him every branch Of
the work. |
That this idea. if carried to its ulti-
mate conclusion, would really be the
last word in scientific farming is
now being generally acknowledged
and we are al urged to do whatev-
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