The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-11-06
ALFALFA AND
DAIRY TRAIN
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF STATE
COLLEGE is MAKING TRIP
THROUGH STATE
SPREADING BETTER FARMING GOSPEL
Train Left Monday Morning and Will
Go Through to Black Hills, Re-
turning Here Saturday Night

The Dairy and Alfalfa Special Train
under the auspices of the State Col
lege left here early Monday morning
for it's weeks trip through the state.
The train will go over the North
Western line to the Black Hills and
then double back to Pierre and go
from there over the North branch to
Clark, completing the trip Saturday
night. Stops are made at each town
where lectures are delivered by the
corps of agricultural experts.
The Minneapolis Journal sent a
special correspondent with the train
and his account of the first days trip
is of interest.
"The cow, the silo and alfalfa for
South Dakota" was the slogan taken
up in South Dakota today. 1t appear
ed in big letters on the side of a train
which left Brookings soon after day.
light for a tour across the state, and at
every stop it was heard in some form
or other from the lips of men from the
South Dakota State College of Agricul-
ture at Brookings.
At Lake Preston, the first stop, three
hundred men from the town and sur
rounding farms-farms which much
fall blowing shows to be of wonderful
ly black and rich soil-were out to lis
ten, and not only to listen, but to ask
questions. At De Smet another large
crowd turned out from town and rich
farms.
The days beginning was suspicious.
The weather was fair and crisp, just
snappy enough to make the blood
tingle and the wind work at top cap
acity, and the work on the train went
swiftly and with precision.
In the forward car was an exhibit of
dairy utensils and barn equipment.
Around the walls were charts to i'm
press the farmer with the worth Of the
combination Of cow, silo and alfalfa.
Barrels of silage We're there for inspec-
ton, and bales of alfalfa, red clover,
sweet clover and so on.
Behind this car was a platform car
used by the speakers when the crowds
were too large for the lecture car, far
Their back on the train.
Next to this came a car containing
some fine examples Of dairy stock
from the college farm at Brookings. In
this group is College Belle Wayne, a
Holstein that ranked away up to Sec
ond place in milk production, not only
for South Dakota, but for the world, in
1911. This was for thirty days pro-
duction.
The lecture car was next and then
the office a of H. E. Dickinson, d.
vision superintendent of the Chicago
& Western company, over whose
lines the train is being run without
expense to the state ave for the trans
portation of the party as required by
state law. Mr.. Dickinson is acting in
the capacity of host for the company.
Other representatives OF the company
with the train in still another car are
H. j. Wagon, general agent at Winona,
and Frank Donegan, both OF whom
gave much time to looking after the
success of the travelling school.
The STAFF of speakers aboard the
train include Professor c. Larsen, who
will talk on dairy cows and conduct
the dairy COW demonstration; A. p.
Ryger, state dairy commissioner and
secretary Of the state dairymen's asso-
citation; Professor A. N. Hume, an ex.
pert on alfalfa; F. w. Merrill, who
knows the silo problem from A to z;
Charles McCaffree of Pierre, state i'm
migration commissioner; George A.
Starring, agricultural editor of the
State College; Clarence Stanley. as
sistant in the dairy department. Of the
State College, and Peter Hoff, dairy
herdsman.
That South Dakota is making head
way in dairying and that therefore
there is great interest in the work of
the train is shown by the fact that the
dairy output Of the state has increased
almost SO per cent in three years. To
be exact, the output today is As per
cent larger than 1t was three years
ago.
Along with this there has been an
immense increase In interest In the
growing Of alfalfa. Mr.. Merrill. one
OF the speakers on the train. makes