Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-07-10
Clubs
May Assist Farmers

AxAdy fA0SlSt@Ad1nkGkS
That the commercial clubs OF South
Dakota could do nothing better 10.
help their farming communities than.
to invest in silage cutter outfits. is a
progressive idea OF Professor C. Lar
sen, OF the State Collese. He sus
gests that n drawback to farm
ownership OF silos, is the expense es
owning a silage cutter and engine to
be used for a comparatively snort
time, even though any modern farmer
can we'll afford such equipment. The
commercial club OF any live town
could invest a few hundred dollars in
a silage outfit to be rented to the
farmers at a nominal price, say ten
cents per ton, which would pay for
the machine in two or three seasons.
In a recent interview with the ag-
ricultural editor Of the college, Pro-
lessor Larsen said: THE state of
South Dakota has WI two million
acres of corn, and more than twice
as much income would be ottained
from the crop if every farmer owned
la silo. South Dakota could feed one
and a half million more COWS than
now with silos on every farm, and
that without raising any more feed
than we do at present.
"A silo on every farm means a sure
crop every year and feed for cows any
time during the yeaT. Silos will
keep ssilage any length OF time, which
means that in good years feed can be
stored for use during unfavcrable
crop seasons. Getting silos on every
farm is one of the great economic
problems of South Dakota and the
central west.
"The great objection to a silo on
every farm is the snitial cost of the
silo and of the machinery necessary
to fill it. Few object to the cost of
the silo alone. The cutting and fill
ing machinery is used but one or two
days while filing the silo. The midi
vidual farmer feels that he cannot
afford to invest five or six hundred
dollars for this purpose. True 1T is,
four or five neIghbors may club to-
\ gether and purchase the machinery in
cooperation, but the average farmer
is not prone to take the lead in work
ing W such a cooperative plan.
"tlere is where the commercial
/ clubs of the stare can do some good.
1t is to the interest of the business
men to help the prosperity of the
farming community. Silos and Silage
mean plenty OF feed for stock, which
in turn ear more money and Ger
tain income to the farmer.
IF every commercial club of South
| Dakota would purchase one ssiiage
cutting outfit they would remove one
IF the great obstacles to the wider
Introduction I'll silos. Such an eX-
penditure does not mean giving away
the investment. The farmers should
pay their share, for the s of the
machinery, saytten cents per ton. This
would cost hInl ten dollars 10 ill a
one hundred ton silo, a days task.
about thirty such silos could he filled
in n season, bringing in three hun
dred dollars. In two or three years
..a#N"gH. Y. .EE.z.A. j. .Hs..E 40
the whole outSt would be paid for.
The machinery would still be good
for several years service.
This is a field which has real merit
and every live organization of bust
ness men should not fail to try this
or some similar plan. No better or
worthier thing could be taken up for
the improvement of the local com
munity."
Professor Larsen calls attention to
the fact that the Rapid City business
mems club has taken the lead in this
progressive movement in South Da-
kota- He expresses a willingness to
have clubs which are interested
write him for suggestions in putting
soma s,o.pnaraIivc y,lap into oparo4.n-,