The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-10-17
POOR HIGHWAYS DRIVE
FOLKS TO MAD HOUSE
Good Roads Do Away With the
isolation of Farm
"suRE CROP STATE" SLOGAN
Southern Minnesota Boosters Are Hold
ing Some Very Interesting Meet
ings While Autoing
"suRE CROP STATE" SLOGAN

spoke Monday evening at Caledonia
in the better farming campaign con.
Quoted by the Southern Minnesota
Better Development league. oys
! In looking up statistics" he said,
| 1--WE came across an instance of a
| farmers wife who became insane
and was taken to an asylum. The
husband, heart broken declared he
! did not know what could have caused
it. She had not been off the farm
in fifteen years, he said"
! Mr.. Marshall contended that good
roads would do away with the isola-
tion of farm life. which is fruitful
cause Of insanity.
| Produces New Slogan.
THE Sure Crop State" was the
slogan proposed today by Professor
| A. D. Wilson, superintendent of the
extension division OF the University
Farm, another of the speakers with
the corps of sixteen agricultural
and good roads boosters in charge OF
John ID. Deets, secretary of the
! league, who left Caledonia this morn
| ing, reaching Preston shortly before
noon. where a large crowd of farm.
ers greeted the speakers. An after
noon meeting was arranged at Aus
tin, and tonight the party will be
at Albert Lea.
Always Have Yield.
Professor Wilson pointed out that
year after year when there have
| been crop failures in other states
and parts of Minnesota, the south
east or southwest districts of this
state have always had crop. This
| fact ought to be advertised, he said.
He urged the employing of more
county agents, saying that the en-
thusiasm they stir up and the farm.
ing knowledge they disseminate would
pay their wages many times over.
He cited the instance of a farmer
| who had caught the spirit of better
| farming and by simply wedding out
average annual output of his herd
from 231 to 336 pounds of butter
| fat from each cow This meant
total increase for ten cows of about
1000 pounds or more than $500
| without increase of expense.
Predicted Price, $500 an Acre.
That Southern Minnesota farms
now selling from 500 to $125 an
acre will go to 300 an acre within
few years was the prediction of
immigration Commissioner Fred Sher-
man. Southern Minnesota shows
better average corn yield than states
in the corn belt, and should bring
as good returns as the $3.50 lands in
Illinois and Indiana, he said.
Session at Albert Lea.
Albert Lea, Mimi, October 15.-
The agricultural missionaries who
are touring Southern Minnesota un-
der the direction of John d. Deets,
secretary of the Southern Minnesota
Better Development league, complet-
ed the first full day of their four
days trip, with big meeting OF
farmers and business men at Albert
Lea last night.
The speakers were Dean A. f.
Woods of the state farm SCHOOL,
Prof. A. D. Wilson, head of the uni
versity farm extension work; c. A.
Forbes of the State Highway commits
sion; Fred Sherman, state immigra.
ton commissioner, and George f.
Author, secretary to the governor.
Mr.. Author joined the party at Aus.
tin this afternoon.
Urges More Live Stock.
Dean Woods urged the farmers of
Freeborn county to raise more live
stock Live stock means more labor,
he said, and more agricultural high
schools and consolidated schools,
which will keep the boys at home and
| will solve the labor problem.
Mr.. Sherman said there was no rea-
son why farms in Southern Mime.
sofa should be cheaper than those
in Indiana and Illinois and that when
the full value of that land is appre-
ciated it will go to $500 or higher.
He also urged people to vote for the
constitutional amendment permitting
the use of $3.50, 900 as revolving
| fund for the clearing and improve
ment of state school lands. The
amendment does not make any ap-
preparation, he said, but the money
loaned for this work would come
back in the enhanced value of the
| land.
Robert Carmichael of Dakota county
joined the party at Albert Lea and
was called on for speech.
Wants County Agent.
He urged the appointment of All
agricultural agent in Freeborn county.
At the Austin meeting the speakers
! were Dean Woods, Prof. Wilson, C
E. Willis of the Northwest Farm
Continued on Page Tw..