Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1913-05-28
Prof. Perry G. Holden addressing the
farmers Of Kent County, Mich,
from back steps Of farm house.

farmers Of Kent County, Mich,
from back steps Of farm house.
neglected forage crop. A systematic
canvas from farm to farm, grange to
grange, and oftentimes from field to
field was made in an effort to
bring to the farmer in his own
home the facts and figures which have
been stored up in the pamphlets and
archives of the agricultural schools
and colleges. %t.., 49, r
Taking part in the campaign, either
in an advisory capacity or as speak.
ers, were the following members OF
the Agricultural Extension Depart
ment: c. NJ. Carroll, formerly with
! the Crop Improvement Committee; w.
r. Baugham, prominent rancher and
alfalfa grower of Texas; J. E. Wag-
goner, formerly of the Mississippi
Agricultural College; r. w. Lamson
Of Iowa; ]. E. Buck of Chicago; c. w.
Tarr, assistant county superintendent
of Cook County, Illinois; the Hon. G..
H. Afford of Georgia, and C. H. Allen,
q retired banker OF Ohio.
That the farmers were ready for
the blessings which alfalfa strews
over neighborhood which gives 1t a
neighborly welcome, was evidenced
everywhere by the crowds that
greeted the campaigners at every
stop. At no time were any of the
speakers without an encouraging au-
dience, and on some occasions the
party was obliged to divide, a part ad-
dressing the school children while
others spoke to the farmers. The ad-
vent Of the cortege into a community
was made Alfalfa Day in the schools.
In the towns TIE children paraded out
to meet the autos, singing special al
falfa songs and waving flags. II Is
estimated that between three and
four hundred farmers in that one
county alone pledged themselves to
make a start with alfalfa and Go it
according to the rules lsid down by
Federal Expert ]. H. S.. Ter.
Kent County, in the c. Of 1910,
was credited with raising only 70
acres Of alfalfa, but all Indications at
the present time are that by 1915
there will be 10000 acres fourishing
with this legume. 1t was shown that
on the typical sand or clay loans east
of the Mississippi alfalfa could be
raised as easily and as surely as
clover yielding three crops season
and that it was the greatest plant the
farm world has yet discovered for
extracting nitrogen from the air and
storing 1t up in the soil, thus re-
juvenating run down and over-crop-
ped farms.
The Corn Belt farmer In alarm at
his annually diminishing yields, is
turning to alfalfa as his one great
hope, and the bugle call sounded in
Kent County is re-echoing in the en-
tire eastern states. AS we go to
press, similar campaign is going Oh
in Allegan County, Michigan; the To-
ledo Commercial Club Is about to
wage a powerful alfalfa propaganda
in the ten western counties OF Ohio.
Feelers have been put out by the
Connecticut .agriculturists for turning
the entire4I Fl @ Agricultural Exten'
sion Department batteries on that
state for statewide campaign to in
troduce alfalfa on the seaboard. Its
possibilities seem to be unlimited, and
the prospects are that by the next
census the leadership in alfalfa acre
age and production may be wrested
from the western states and the
crown placed upon the brow OF the
middle west and eastern farmer.