The Mankato free press., 1913-03-07
Green Scored People
For Lack Of Interest
From Thursdays Daily.

pie of Mankato severely for not hav'
ing better showing of her citizens
AT the evening sessions OF this con.
vention. Mr.. Green said: The
audience here tonight is TOO inferior
in quantity for meeting of this
kind. The people of Blue Earth coun-
ty should rally to these meetings."
The musical numbers of the ev.
ening's program were given by the
high school orchestra and Glee clubs
under the direction of Miss Fannie
Pitcher. The orchestra played the
opening selection and the two clubs
sang the numbers with piano accom-
paniment The last number was sung
by the two glee clubs with full or
chestra accompaniment. The audience
was appreciative and enjoyed the mu-
sic
Dean A. F.. Woods OF the college
of Agriculture of the University of
Minnesota was the speaker of the
evening and gave an address which
was full of ideas for the grain pro-
ducers who heard it. He said that
one of the things he especially want
ed TO bring out was the relation OF
the experiment stations of the state
70 the farmers and also that type
or organization must be reached
among the farmers which will put
Minnesota on a permanent agricul-
tural basis.
Development Is Rapid.
Development of grains takes place
rapidly under cultivation, but to trace
the development OF grains | will take
you back several hundred years, to
show you that grain breeding was
then going on even if it . was not
done with a full understanding of
what was being done.
The Indians of Guatamela used to
plant three kinds of corn in each
hill, a kernel of red corn, one of cal
leo and one OF either white or yellow
This was done to insure a good stand
of corn. AS the Indians came north
they brought their corn seed with
them and continued 10 develop it
here adapting it for the colder clim.
ate. Then in southern Russia the
same thing has been done rather un.
consciously with wheat. These peo-
pie were not conscious Of the fact
that what they were really doing was
10 breed up finer strains of grain.
You ask what are we now doing
in our plant breeding. We are breed
ing grains to eliminate the weak
nesses Of it, We choose our grain
seed by process of elimination, u.s.
ing the strains which have resistance
power against the grain diseases and
conditions which are causing crop de-
struction in the various localities
Combination of grains which have
different resisting ability, breeds the
desired strength in the grain. We
can in about three years get ready
for distribution any strain we work
with where it used to take hun
dreds of years for that work. | men
tion these things to show what the
experiment stations do. Twenty-Five
years ago committee was sent TO
Washington to urge the establishment
of national experiment station. Il
was seen then that the national re-
sources would soon be used up un-
less they were cared for These sta
tions were established and the men
who had graduated from the schools
which were teaching these things
turned to the stations for the study
of plant life and diseases. While
people looked with disapproval on
these stations when they were es-
tablished, they now go to them for
information. The value of land in
the United States has increased 11S
per cent in the last ten years. This
is the result OF intensive farming.
Must Have Facts Available.
"The farmer has now reached the
time when he must have available
the facts necessary for conducting
his business, and he must keep in
close touch with the experiment sta
tions.
"The experiment station does not
take the position of teacher, but
as co-operatOr with the farmer
ut has now come to the time when
the farmers must have an organiza-
lion which will more closely connect
them to the station. We then come
to the county organizations. Such a
work must be carried on through the
medium of business man who will
act between the farmer and the sta
ton.
Il do not believe that state-own-
ed demonstration farm is the way to
carry on this work--it would bank
the efficiency OF it would be very
small. If you have a plan for cor.
rectly operating a mans farm you
can give 1t TO him just as you would
a set Of architects plan, and when
he applies it his farm will be the
best possible kind of a demonstra-
ton farm. These demonstration. farms
are, you understand, not experiment
farms.
The agent system then is simply
carrying the states plan to the far
mers-giving him plans for rotation
of crops and that sort of thing. We
have tried for several years to get
in Minnesota a good seed law. You
would be surprised TO see some of
the seed which comes into this state.
We need law which will enforce
a scotsman TO label his seeds for
what they really are and TO grade
their grain accurately. The seed law
which has been drawn up calls for
these two things. If the seedsmen
of this country can't do these things
they should get out of the business
and l hope you seedsmen will back
~.