Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-06-20
OR. HOPKINS GIVES STATE COL
LEGE GRADUATES SPLEN-
DID ADVICE.
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
From the Capitol City, the Various
State institutions and From
Many Different Parts Of
the Sunshine State.

saving the soil is second in Importance
only to saving the soul. We boast of
the rich soils of Dakota, but the great
est need Dakota has is for positive in
formation regarding the composition
and profitable enrichment and perma-
nent preservation of these Soils"
Thus spoke DR.. Cyril G.. Hopkins to
the graduating class of the state COL
lege. The fact that DIR. Hopkins is
the world famous soil expert OF the
University of Illinois and a graduate
of the state college gave added
weight to his words.
HIS is only half informed who says
the great agricultural problem of Da-
Hota is soil moisture. BY no means
should we neglect the conservation of
moisture, but to produce larger crops
with a limited supply of moisture re-
qulres soil enrichment. One of Gods
early commandments was BE fruit
full, and multiply and replenish the
earth, and subdue it," but said DR..
Hopkins, "the last two parts of that
commandment we have disobeyed in
America for three hundred years." He
cited millions of acres of abandoned
farms to show that we have neither
replenished nor subdued the earth.
Why should the yield of wheat in
Dakota average only IL bushels per
acre? Some say it is because farm
ers grow wheat year after year on the
same land, but such answer is made
In ignorance, for the average farmer
follows no such plan. The abandoned
farm lands in the United States have
in most places gone down to abandon
ment under good crop rotations"
There must be some other cause,
said DR.. Hopkins, INC what is it? He
found the answer in a single word,
fertility" The greatest investment
South Dakota could make would be
an investigation of her soils. "The
agricultural experiment station of the
state college was established to sur
vey the soils of the state, to collect
Trustworthy samples representative
~ al IA oOl types, " ulahe dudly-
ses to ascertain the stock of fertility
and physical character of ech, and to
carefully conduct well planned field
experiments to supplement the other
sources OF information; and there
ought to be and must be if duty is
done, a persistent, well organized and
successful movement to secure ade-
quate appropriations for the Inaugural
ton and prosecution of this most fun
damental work"
This soil survey is absolutely es-
sential. 1t car be started with $685.
900 a year, but as fast as a force can
be secured and developed, the fund
should be increased until it approach
es the one cent per acre. The ques-
ton should not be how little the ap-
preparation a be, but rather how
much money can be used to advantage
in pushin gthis work to completion.
State appropriations are not secured
by wishing, but by work, by organ.
lied effort; and no greater service
could be rendered by those who have
at heart the welfare and future pros
perity of the state than by working
as individuals and through ~associa-
tons to awaken the public conscience
and intellect and to secure the neces.
sary initial appropriation, perhaps
from the next session of. the legisla.
ture."
Summarized in a word, DR.. Hop
kins' plea was for definite informa-
ton concerning Dakota soils. No bet
ter farming adviser can help his con.
s%tituents as much as he should with
out an accurate knowledge of the soils.
He must know what fertility elements
are lacking and how to supply the de-
ficiency.
That there is culture in agricultural
education DR.. Hopkins said: There
is no subject or field of higher educa-
tive value than agriculture and its
foundation sciences. The study of
plant,food compounds is at least as Gull
tural and often more valuable and USE
full than the study of Latin com
pounds; and there is as much mental
development and refinement in the
bacterial fixation of atmospheric nj
trogen in alfalfa roots as in the study
of Greek roots, and vastly more of ap-
plication and utility in the world Of
human endeavor and service to hu.
mainly. The support of the best men
and ONE are required in this for
ward movement in agriculture"
Large Increase Shown.
Pierre.-Insurance Commissioner O..
s. Basford finds a great increase in
the business of his department this
year. The tax collections for written
premiums in 1912 show total receipts
of $1O1,194.86. The tax collections for
the year 1911 was $90,2s2.SS, showing
an increase of nearly $4,000 in pre-
miums written for the yea 1912 over
that OF 1911. The fire marshal tax for
the business of 1911 from the fire pre-
MUM companies was $S,2S3.45. The
tax for the year 1912 was $S,4S7.O 4,
showing a gain of 5000 over 1911.
State Fire Fighting Fund.
Pierre.-The first draft on the state
FIRE fighting fund for use on the state
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