Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-09-05


organizing the West Central Mime
sofa Development association. He
told of some of the work it is doing.
1t is calling meetings in the different
counties to encourage diversified farm
ing. These are largely attended and
almost unanimously successful The
bringing in of improved breeds of
cattle is being encouraged. Business
men agree to make up any deficit that
may come from bringing in Holstein
cows and sires and selling them at
auction. Almost invariably these
sales leave net profit to the guar.
antors for the promotion of the work.
Also county fairs are encouraged.
A big moving show to be sent INTO all
the seventeen counties, is being pre-
pared. This is to take the ace of
the caneracks. the cheap sidrshows.
the snake eater and the li'.e that
usually distract and demort re the
public. 1t will have moving pictures.
literary features and agricultural
lectures and will be wholesome, ele-
waiting. entertaining and educating.
lso through the organization fifteen
of the seventeen counties have farm
demonstrators. These are county
farmers who understand scientific
agriculture and who devote themselves
to giving practical application of their
knowledge to the farmers of the coun-
ty in their fields. The county farm
er. where he works. is a valuable
factor. The secretary of the National
Grain Growers association enlisted
the interest of big catalog house of
Chicago in this work. When he had
laid his plans before the company he
was told the concern would alone
give one million dollars to support
the county farmer proposition. No
conditions were attached.
Only results were wanted. 1t is
not even essential that the name of
the catalog house be mentioned and
comparatively few people know of the
backing. These fifteen counties each
of them raised an additional 81, 900
to 60 with the other. There is $780,
600 yet coming from this one source
for the support of county farmers
throughout the country. At Morris
one other movement is on foot.
This is with respect to potato grow
ing. This week public meeting is
! to be held to formulate a cooperative
plan of growing and marketing. It
is some such broad vision as that of
the California orange growers. who
acting as individuals we're powerless
to make headway in their business
but organized they have been able to
do big things. What is to be done is
to make Stevens county potato cen.
ter. A uniform quality will be pro-
duced and in such quantities as to
supply trainloads of standard kind.
Maybe this effort will not succeed.
But it is one of the things they are
doing down there. note that the
agricultural development committee
of the Nebraska Bankers association
is to have conference of business
interests at Omaha, August 20. to
help do the very things that are being
done by the West Central Minnesota
Development association. The bank
ers may learn something to their ad-
vantage up here. may add that an
other important feature being worked
out is the enlargement of commercial
clubs to county farmers clubs. The
dues are nominal and the agricultural
and commercial interests, which in
most respects are identical, are being
brought together in harmonious CO.
operation. The barrier between town
and country is to be thus broken
+ down. This is great and necessary
work. There is and always has been
everywhere too much suspicion and
jealousy existing between persons
separated only by an imaginary line
known as corporation limits. The
county farmer is controlled by this
club. A board Of directors is in
charge. The board meetings are held
f at the various towns of the county in
rotation. This avoids any feeling Of
jealousy and the influence of the boarc
is thus better disseminated.
I have no doubt what found anc
have here undertaken to set dowr
will be of interest to public spirited
) readers of The Tribune in both tow
and country.
ROSS L. HAMMOND.