The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-30

tanned, though not at once. Provision
for consolidated schools was made,
n already the northern half of the
state has scores of these thoroughly
modern country schools. Increased
aid for agricultural high schools was
voted, and a new agricultural expert
ment station was established. 1t was
made possible for counties to obtain
state funds-on bonds-for internal
improvements. A 1-mill tax for the
building Of roads was put through,
and under the law providing for this,
and other laws, the counties of the
north are developing good roads plans
rapidly. Clearwater county just re-
Gently submitted it's scheme of road
Improvement to the state highway
commission for. approval. Koochich-
Ing county, recently voted $500, 900 in
bonds for road Improvement, and the
bonds have already been sold at a
good price.
Public Domain Question.
The legislative campaign Of the as
sociation, however, includes other i'm
portant measures, The association
selling state lands. 1t asks for a soil
survey of the entire state. It asks
that the state bear q. share of that ex-
pense OF improvements in those parts
where there are large areas of state
land not now subject to taxation. It
asks for a department Of public do
main, to take owe the different bur-
eaus and commissions now having to
do with the general subject. At it's
session in June, 1912, a resolution was
passed calling for a state department
Of agriculture, consolidating all bur-
eaus and commissions then having to
do with agriculture. This was to in
: clude bureaus of:
Statistics. -.
Animal husbandry.
Agricultural law and law enforce
ment.
Nursery inspection. .aa
Soils, -. =. tt
State and county fairs.
Seed, feed, and fertilizer inspection.
The great problems Of the northern
part of the state, however, are good
roads, drainage, land clearing, and
Immigration, and to the solution of
all of these the Northern Minnesota
association Is bending It's efforts.
-... A Good Roads Measure.
For furthering the cause of good
roads a bill passed the last legislature
to submit q constitutional amendment
providing for a $250,000 revolving
aid in the work Of road building in
districts where the state owns not
less than 100000 acres. The associ-
alton Is heartily in favor of this
amendment as q. matter of Justice to
the people trying to develop farms
adjacent to the states lands.
All of the counties having drainage
problems are urged to cooperate
with the state and national govern
ments In their efforts to reclaim
northern swamp areas.
For the solution of the land-clear-
Ing problem, one Of the most difficult,
q reclamation board has been estab-
lished. This consists of w. j.. Brown,
Thief River Falls, chairman; A. ).
Kenzie, Bemidji. These men have
been conducting a series of expert
ments In clearing. Eight cl~earings
have been made, and it has been
found that the average cost is be-
tween SGT and $28. Other cl~earings
are yet to be made. and when these
are completed detailed report will
be issued by the board.
A Land Clearing School.
To acquaint settlers already in the
northern woods with the best practic-
es In clearing and in farming cleared
lands, at the request OF the Northern
Minnesota association the north CEN
trail agricultural experiment station is
this week holding a short course for
farmers At this .'stump-pulling
school, az IT. has been called, such
brushing, use and value OF timber,
crops for newly-cleared lands, farm
drainage. dairying and h~og-raising,
and rural organization, will be dig
cussed. Field demonstrations viii
also he given.
The county agent is being used An
! six Of the northern counties, ana