The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-24
THE ALFALFA TRAIN IN THE ORANOGAH VALLEY

their heads, and they knew their sub
1ects thoroughly. Each man is en-
titled to be called an expert in his
line and the advice and suggestions
they gave were peculiarly practical
and pertinent
i'rof. Holden was indisputably the
leading spirit in the party, the hard
est worker and the most fOrceful cam
paigner. His heart and soul and mind
are Wrapt up in the work he is doing.
and he is untiring in the direction of
that work
Inc first meeting in Oroville was
held III the Orpheum Friday afternoon
at ESQ O'Clock under the direction of
W. X. Boughman, one of the ablest and
most convincing speakers i'll the party.
The attendance was not large, but
II was made up of intensely interest
ed and earnest auditors, and Mr..
Boughman made everyone feel that he
was well repaid for the time devoted
to the lecture. Mr.. Boughman has
farmed for % years and handled his
subject with perfect familiarity and
the direct assurance of thorough
knowledge. He spoke quietly and ma
Il rally, not as an orator addressing a
hlS audience, but as one man to his
nelShDor in a conversational tone and
quickly won the sympathy of his hear
erS whom he repeatedly ENCOURAGED to
ask questions and discuss the points
he made. The burden of his address
was the vital necessity of changing
from one-crop system to rotation
OF crops for the preservation of soil
fertility. He pointed out the lessons
C1 The failure of the one-crop method
or farming in every country where it
had been followed explained the
scientific reasons for that failure He
discussed the advantages of the silo
tor preserving the food value of such
crops as corn and alfalfa. and urged
the adVisability and the economy of
building silos. He gave specific in
structons how d cheap and perfect
siio could be built for an expenditure
OF about $50 in cash the pit silo in
fact. lie had nothing to say in der
toSation OF the staVe or other above
ground silos, except their cost, and
suggested The pit silo as an alterna-
tive just as good for those who can
not affosd the other kind He laid
stress on the value OF alfalfa as a
toOd plant for stock as well as its
Value as fertility builder in soils.
He also told of the use that can be
made OF several plants that are often
considered noXiOus weeds and urged
with ali the earnestness he could COM
mand the raising Of a few head Of
stock by every farmer, the rotation of
crops, intensive farming and the elimi-
nation OF waste by the adoption of
proier methods of farming He spoke
as one farmer speaks to- another NOD
as an all-Wise being might hand out
good advice to interiors. He did nor
pretend to know all that there is to
know about agriculture, but admitted
that he came to learn as well rs to
bring message from the experience
OF others His advice and suggestions
were purely practical and based on
sound common sense and ripe iudg-
ment formed from actual experience
9nd first hand investigation He soon
had his hearers interested and asking
questions, and he found no difficulty
III clearing away miscOnceived ideas
and misinformation or in convincing
AL OF the rightness of his contentious.
The meeting in the evening was held
i, the Orpheum also, which was filled
very nearly to its capacity. many Wis
Hors from out of town being present.
several coming from Loomis and To-
naShet. The evening meeting was
opened by Mr.. Boughman. who con
lined his remarks to agricultural sub
lCcta strictly He was followed by
PIo:. Holden, who, naturally. was the
chief speaker OF the evening, and who
chose education FOR his topic He did
not treat that subject in a common
place manner, for Prof. Holden is an
unusual man and everything he does
end says is marked by his striking in
diyiduality and originality. His plea
was for q system Of education that
would make useful, self-sustaining
citizens. He told OF his early eXperi-
ence as a teacher and how he was
lifted out Of the old rut of custom and
routine in the school room by his
desire to bring the best that was in
each OF his pupils to the surface That
experience was the germ of the idea
that later developed into the great
corn campaign that he conducted in
iowa and the alfalfa campaign he is
now conducting in this state. j.e urg-
ca more OF the practical in school
work, without decryins the cultural.
cnly as it permitted to overshadow
tae iull Development or the pupils
Every word the professor uttered was
followed with closest attention. and
the audience frequently broke into an
clause when he made a particularly
striking point In fact the audience
was the most responsive that has ever
assembled III this place and gave the
speaker most flatteringIy attentive
herring